The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
and teats is the first essential. n
Field, and !Stockman.
Farm and Garden Notes.

III the strawberry bedS are mulchcd
with such substance as packs down close
ly, loosen it upto prevent smothering the
plants.
Cut of the sprouts which spring up at
the base of your fruit trees, plum trees
especially; they arc, to say the least, un-
slightly.
Keep all the suckers that start from the
roots OF trees removed. They not only
make the tree very unsightly, but will in
jurc its growth.
An extensive fruit grower, who has set
so, 900 trees, says, as TO peaches, pears and
plums, he prefers them at one year old,
and apples at two years.
When cleaning the pcrchcs in tic
poultry house it is necessary to apply the
mixture of kcsoscne oil and grease to
the under side as well as the top.
Experience has conclusively shown that
the public taste for fruit keeps pace with
the increased production. Desirable fruit
products are now almost constant articles
Of dict.
In Northern climates gardens and
orchards should be screened from the
cold winds by good hedges. The protec-
ton thus afforded is much better than
high walls.
Soon the reports will begin to come in,
as they do every spring, and all the
peach buds are killed; but what heavy
and delicious fruit crops we continue to
get from dead buds.
Sheep in the field seek the highest
knobs for sleeping places. These are
generally poor, but sheep will soon en-
rich them. Thc grass is swceter there
and the sheep are most healthy in such
localities.
The farmer who raises but limited
number OF swine should make it point
to have them of one OF the quick-grow-
ing breeds that will grow to medium
size and fatten between, say March and
New Year, or earlier.
E. Williams, of New Jersey, is of the
opinion that while variablcness in quality
Of fruits is generally attributed to poor
culture, uncongenial soil or soil lacking
in fertility, there are times when inferior
quality is beyond the skill Of the cultiva.
tor and entirely due to the season.
Bects may be sown very early in the
spring-as soon rs the ground can be
worked. According to W. D. Phil
brick they sometimes come up early
enough to be killed by frost in May, but
are usually hardy enough to escape such
light frosts as occur at that time of
year.
When man gives cow he is fatten-
ing four quarts of corn meal at a mess,
twice or three times day, he is wasting
material. 1t is not all digested, and the
cow does not need so much of the fat
forming food. Give her two quarts of
corn meal and four quarts of bran, and
she will digest it and gain faster.
Geraniums are the very best of bedding
plants, and they are found in endless va
ricty. Some arc very ornamental in TO-
liasc, Others very fragrant. A large bed
of blooming gcraniums interspersed with
the Golden Self, Bronze Zonale, Golden
Tri-color, silver margincd for ornamental
foliage, and the fragrant for bouquets,
cannot fail to be very attractive one.
Of course you've been told twenty
times to plant plum trees in your poultry
yard; but here is something new. Spread
a lattice-work Of laths upon the ground
with the stem of the tree in the centre,
and tack the laths together where they
cross. This relieves the hens of the work
of having to scratch the roots, and gives
them more time to look after curculioS.
Farms in some sections of Pennsylva-
mia maintain the fertility of their soils by
applying 100 bushels of Stacked lime to
tho acre once in five years. 1t is said that
fields which have been subjected to this
treatment for the past 100 years are as
productive now as when the experiment
was first tried. This application depends
for its value much upon the original char
acter of the soil.
The soil OF woods is covered with
MOSES and layers of leaves in different
stages of decomposition, which act as
spongcs in retaining the water for the
gradual supply of springs: If we
destroy grove around springon the
hillside we not only lose supply of pure
water, but we may also cause the little
mill on the creek, fed in part by this
same spring, to be abandoned.
Salt itself is too strong for hogs; mixed
with ashes it is still more so. They will
eat but very little in that way. Put ono
gallon of salt to about two gallons of
strong wood ashes put in a tight trough,
then put in three or four gallons of
water. Do not put in anything to en-
courage them to cat it, as they will eat
enough anyway. Keep this mixture by
your hogs all the time, and you will not
have many sick hogs, if any.
The following preparation applied to
the surface will prevent any rusting on
ploughs or any other metal surface. Melt
one ounce of resin in gill Of linseed oil,
and when no. mix with two quarts Of
kerosene oil. This can be kept on hand
and applied in a moment with brush or
rag to the metal surface of any tool that
is not going to be used for few days,
preventing any rust, and saving much
ycxation when the time comes to use it
again.
A philosophical old farmer says: 81
never knew a whistling laborer who gave
any trouble about his food, lodging or
any little extra work. Such men are gen.
orally kind and genial to children and to
animals of all degrees; they come around
them without fear. Generally such men
have clcer conscicnccs, clean tongues and
morals, and arc safer among tho young
people than the majority of strolling
hands arc, whose presence among them,
when not guarded, IS pollution and per
dition. The moral is obvious. When
engaging farm hand, keep your eyes